Caught in the Middle
by messersmontana
Summary: Jack and Tess broke up and Allison is caught in the middle. Can she and Jack move on in their relationship?


Caught in the Middle

Jack and Tess broke up and Allison is caught in the middle. Can she and Jack move on in their relationship?

I still own nothing but the idea of this story.

Allison sat at the dining room table, drinking her morning coffee with a smile on her face. She was thinking about the talk she'd had with Jack last night after he'd broken up with Tess. He'd stopped by and they'd talked late into the night. It felt good and almost like old times. Things were looking up for them now that Tess and Jack were no longer together.

The peaceful morning was interrupted when Tess walked through the back door. "He's the most infuriating, frustrating man I've ever known. Why do I have to love him so much?" She asked as she slammed her keys on the counter.

Allison schooled her face. "What's wrong Tess?"

"Ugh, it's Jack. I stopped by his place to get the last of my things and he acted like we'd never meant anything to each other. He wished me good luck in Australia. How he knew about it I'll never know. I didn't tell anyone about it, not even you." She vented.

"Tess, he's just trying to make the break up easier for you. Jack's a good guy." Allison defended him.

"Since when do you call him Jack, Alli?" Tess asked.

"I've called him Jack before, but only when we're not working together." Allison replied.

"Whatever. You know I was going to try to give him another chance, but he was suck an ass, he can forget it." She said.

Allison knew that she needed to change the subject, and fast. "So, have you been to GD today?"

"Are you kidding, I spent the whole night there. I didn't want to go back to my place after I left Jack's place. I was overlooking the cleanup from yesterday's incident. GD looks almost better than it did before the zombie incident." Tess told her as she poured herself a cup off coffee.

"So, what are your plans now?" She asked.

"I called Australia about the job, and they still want me. So, I guess I have to give Fargo my two weeks notice later today. First I want to go home, take a nap, and get a shower before I have to face the little dweeb." She said drinking her coffee.

"Well, I'll miss you Tess." Allison told her friend.

"Thanks Alli. I'll miss you too. Maybe you and the kids could come out this Summer for a visit." She said as she hugged Allison and left her standing in the kitchen shaking her head.

Allison sat back and drained her coffee. Kevin was in school and Jenna was with the nanny at the park for a few hours, and this was her day off. After yesterday, she needed the time off. It had been just another GD day, but they got through it.

A knock on her door roused her from her thoughts. She walked over to the door and opened it to see Jack standing there, holding two cups of coffee. "I thought I'd buy you a cup of coffee and stop by." He said with a cheesy grin.

"The coffee is free Jack." She told him as she took one of the cups and ushered him in. "But thanks anyway, Tess drank the last of my coffee in the pot.

Jack looked around to see if Tess was still there. "Is this a bad time? Do you have company right now?" He asked her.

"No, Tess isn't here anymore Jack. She stopped by earlier for coffee and to vent. By the way, you're not her favorite person right now." She informed him.

"This is what I didn't want to happen. I didn't want her hurt like this Allison, but we couldn't stay together either. We just weren't meant to be together." He explained as he sat down at the table.

"I know Jack, but Tess doesn't see it yet. She'll get over it eventually, I hope. It's not easy for me either you know." She said.

He looked at her confused. "What are you talking about Allison?"

"I care about you both Jack. I care deeply for you, but Tess and I have been good friends for a very long time. She's been coming to me about you the whole time, and it puts me in the middle." She explained.

Jack got up and walked over and took her into his arms, trying to comfort her. "I'm so sorry Alli, I never meant for any of this to happen. You know that right?"

She laid her head on his chest while she wrapped her arms around him. "I know Jack, but I hate not being able to help her, but not wanting to see her with you either." She said.

He kissed her on the top of her head. "I know Allison, and I'm so sorry that you have to be put in this. Do you want me to not come around until Tess leaves for Australia?" He asked her.

"No, she's going to be around for a couple more weeks. She said that she was going to give her two weeks notice today." She told him.

He nodded. "Good, I don't think I could stay away. So, would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

Allison pulled back and looked up at him. "As nice as that sounds, I need to be here for Kevin and Jenna tonight."

"Kevin and Jenna are invited to come too Allison. I know that you're a packaged deal and I love them both. I'd never make you have to choose between me and them." He told her as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Good, I'm glad that you said that. Now are you sure that you want me to drag my kids to your place, or would you rather come over and have dinner here?" She asked.

"Well, I sure could use a real home cooked meal. SARAH is a great cook, but it's not the same thing." He said.

She laughed. "So, the answer is what Jack?"

"The answer is yes Allison. I'll come here for dinner. What time do you want me here?" He asked.

"How does six o'clock sound? I should have dinner all ready by then. Kevin should be here and Jenna will love to see you too." She replied.

He bent down to kiss her. "Alright then, I'll see you and the kids tonight at six."

She smiled up at him. "Sounds good to me."

He looked at his watch. "Look I have to go. I'm late for work, and Andy should be back today. I'll see you tonight." He kissed her one more time before heading out the door.

Allison couldn't get the smile off of her face for the rest of the day. She was looking forward to tonight's dinner.

Okay, so this could stand alone or go as a sequel to After the Breakup. I hope you enjoyed this one. Thanks for reading, please review.


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